a question of UX

(w x 5) + H = the perfect UX

User experience is arguably one of the most crucial factors of any website, but how do you get it just right? We’ve got the perfect formula.

User experience, known as UX, can seem daunting to predict. Could you do more? Is it groundbreaking? Should you just stick to what you know? The questions are endless, but they needn’t be. In fact, the whole process can be broken down into just 6 simple questions that you need to consider when budgeting for a website.

In school, we’re taught that you can solve any problem if you have the answers to certain questions: who, what, when, where, why and how. Today in the digital world, these questions become essential elements in creating the perfect website.

Who – “Who is the user?”

This is one of the most important questions to answer about your website. If you don’t know who your target audience is then how are you supposed to capture their attention? Without knowing who your customer is, how could you possibly know what they want? Consider what your potential customer needs, wants and expects from you. Once you know who your customer is, you can relate to them.

What – “What are the problems?”

Before you start any web project, you need to be able to identify what problems you are trying to resolve. Without knowing the problem, you will never find the answer. Ultimately, you want the customer journey to run as smoothly as possible, so you should look to solve any potential problems and ensure that your website is easy to navigate.

Where – “Where can we improve the existing problems or solution?”

If you are redesigning an existing website, then it is always useful to analyse the existing one to find out what works and what can be improved. If you’re designing a website from scratch, then you need to be able to critique your own design and find areas to improve on. It helps to look at competitor sites, of course you shouldn’t copy their work but there’s no harm in looking to see what works for them and how you could improve it.

When – “when should we test the design?”

Usability testing is the key to achieving a great user experience. It allows you to step into the user’s shoes and see if things are too complicated. If you test the website at numerous points in the design process, you could save yourself a lot of time. Let’s face it, you don’t want to end up with a great-looking design that doesn’t work.

As a business owner, there’s sometimes a danger that you will start to make changes to the website design based on your own personal preferences. Whilst you may know a lot about your own sector, it’s important to always look at your website from the perspective of whoever’s using it. Being objective and recognising your customers’ needs is what makes for a great user experience.

Why – “ why…?”

“Why does this button have to be blue?”, “Why do we use this image on the main-slider?”, etc. Try to get into the habit of asking yourself these questions throughout the entire design process. This will ensure that everything is easy to use, consistent and of course, looks good.

How – “How do we know that we’re on the right path?”

There are several tools available to help you to answer this question. At the start of the process, market research and personas will help you to find the right path. During the design process, low-res prototyping and user testing are great tools. Finally, once you approach completion, tools like Google Analytics and eye-tracking software are effective measures that will ensure that your website performs how you want it to.

If you need any help with a web design and development project, give us a call.

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